Art relating to the stapling of sheets.



E. TI GREENF'IELD.

ART RELATING T0 THE STAPLTNG -OF SHEETS. APPLICATION FILED 90T. 24. 1916.

1,287,588. Patented De@ 10,1918,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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E. T. GREENHELD. ARTRELATING T0 THE STAPUNG 0F SHEETS.

APPLI'CATION'FILED OCT. 24. 1916.

..NDWIN T. GREENFIELD, ,orr YONKERS, NEwYORiz, ASSIGNOR vTo GREENFIELD MAN- FACTURING COMPANY, INC., OENEw YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION or `NEW YORK.

ART RELATING To THE STAPLING or SHEETS.

i To au whom it. maycontern:

' a citizen of the United States, and a resident of' Yonkers,fi'n'the county of West-.f

.Be it known that I, EDWIN GREENFIELD,

chester and State ofy New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in the. Art Relating to the lStapling of Sheets, of

f which the following is a specication.

The invention relates to the 'securingof several vvlayers, .preferably sheet paper, to-

.gether by means of a staple.

shown and described a means' for securing sheets or layers Aof paper together by staples.:

When Aseveral 'sheets of paper have been J stapled together by means of the apparatusv f shown infsaid patent it is exceedingly 'difficult, if`not practically impossible-'to sub-. sequently separate the papers without mut- 'lating them, as the staplesare in effect permanently secured in rplace due to the bending words toward each other.

The objectofthe present invention is to secure several sheets.of' paper'together bymeans of a staple in4 such a' manner that the staple' vcan be readily removed without muti- -lating or injuringthe papers which arese# `"cured together-by the staple. `This I acc omplish `constructi'ng a machinevso thatv when' the s tapleis driven one leg will be bent inwardly under the cross-bar of the staple and the otherleg`r will be bent outwardlv I "away from itsv companion leg. vThis is .ac-

complished by constructing-the anvil of the stapling machine in such ama-nner as to dez l-tl'ect both pointsor ends of. the staple in the same direction, for example, kto the left as f the Staple is being driven. The staple is' also driven and bentinsuch a manner that the sheets are' more or Aless loosely secured #together-by thest'aple. A- s-taple thus driven' 1 4 5 can be subsequently removed, as by l drawing the stapletogtheright. Y.

As showing a specific'manner in whih the'invention` may be realized reference is f ymade to the'drawingsforming apart of this specification, in which drawings,

driving ma'chineshowing avertically movable plunger thereof vated "position,

upper or elel v'desire of the operator. A Fig.-3 is a partial vertical-sectionalview'. showing -the vertically movable driving plungerin its lower posi-tion and showing n prior .UnitedI States Patent No.'` themanner in'which'astaple-isdriven when A 572,293, datedDecemb'er 1,'1896,'thereis Fig. '4` the upper, anvilghasbeer-removed. lIn this fgurethe staple is s hown'in the manin erA in which it 'appears whenvthe plunger andjthe lower anvil copera-te to bendthe broken away'of a side fas lin Fig. 7 the vertically movable plunger Figure l is la sideelevation of 'a stapleV Specification of Letters Patent. Patnted e, 10, 191.8, Application led October 24, 191.' Serial No.` 127,318.; A

vertical-ly movable plunger has been removed and there "areshown inl section an the upper anvil is in operative position .relaf t1 v e to the plunger. y

F1g. 4 is'. a view similar to` Fig. 3, but in legs of the staple jas the sltaplelis driven. by the plunger.

l endrofV'the' machine, In this figure the lower front portionofthe guide-way for the'.

, vertically movable plunger according. to' the)v Fig. 5 is a perspective view of'af-stripy of staples such-as isusedin the machine.. Such Y' I `a strip of staples is indicated asbeing in 'operative positionin Figs. 1, 2, 7 ,J 8,-and 9. l80

InFigs. 3, 4 and the parts'are showngon a somewhat larger scalethan in the rest'of figures..

Fig?. 6 .is a vperspective view piece Y oi the upper' frame of thema'chine. on the planes indicatedfby thefbroken line 7-#7 iii F ig.,2 looking the arrows. i;

7 but in Fig. 8f'tlie vertically: movable Fig.` 7 is a vertical-sectional view taken'- f in the direction of Fig.- 8 is la sectional-viewsimilar to Fig'.

plunger'isshown in its lower positionwhere- Y is shownin its raised Or elevated position. Fig. 9`is a horizontal-sectional.view taken Fig'. 7

base and lan attachment which includes as a 'part Ythereof the-upperanvil. In'QFig. V10

the upper anvil has. been moved from opera-v In said drawings the reference character which there is pivotally mounted atl anf e position tofperruit the-employmentof i v the lower anvil. n

upper frame or movable memberfQ. Y This up'- per frame comprises two side pieces 3 formed 'of-pressed .sheet metal. and Aintermediate 10`5A y1 Vdesignates the: basefofthe machine upon plates 4 and 4 (see Fig. 2). The side pieces and plates are connected together vso as to form a uni'tary structure. The rear portion 5 of this frame, which portion is really a` part of the plate 4, is the part which is preferably pivoted to the base.' Atthe forward part of the frame there is provided a vertically-extending guide-way 6 inwhich there vis slidably mounted the vertically movable plunger, toA wit, the plunger 7', which is normally held in its upper or elevated position by means of a spring 8. This frame is also constructed so as to provide a horizontally-extending guide-way 9 upon which` granted 'August 11, 1914. .The lower portion` a Istrip of staples 10 is supported and along which said strip of staplescan slide whereby each successive staple` can be brought below the plunger into position to be severed and driven by the plunger as the latter is forced downward. The strip of staples -Shown is the `vsame as that illustrated.- and described in my prior U. S. Patent No. 1,106,938,

of the. intermediate plate 4 provides a rib .or projection 4zlv which extends linto av longitudinal groove 12 of the strip of staples 10. The intermediate plate 47,1 heretoforereferied to, operates in effect the same as a r lower-shear blade becauseit cooperates with the plunger 7 to sever each successive staple from-the rest 'of the staples in the strip. This intermediate plateor shear blade is i' preferably grooved at 4b so as to receive the 5 herein, as the longitudinal grooved portionI under 'side of thegrooved portion .12 ofthe staple strip. If, however, it isdesired to employ a strip ofy staples which does not have this particular groove, then' this can be done as by eliminating the lower projecting l `rib 4a of the intermediate plate 4 and by makingv the uppersurface of the intermediate plate` 4 fiat soas to conform with the,

under side of the cross-bar of the staples.

I prefer, however, to employ the staples such as. are shown in my before-mentioned Patent No. 1,106,938, and also shown in Fig.

12 in the staple can be relied u )on to facilitate Atheremoval of a driven siijed, as will hereinafterappear, but .it will be understood that the invention in its broad aspect is-notlimitedto the employment of this particular form of staple. When in operative position the strip of staples is moved along the. guide-way by means of a' set of feeding pawls 13 which is pivotally connected at 14 to the upper forward portion of the'A frame 2. This set of feeding pawls extendsl downwardly along the 4eXteriorof the frame and the lower 'ends can spring outward-ly so as to pass over the outer sides of the legs, whichlegs it will-be noted are of equalvlen'gth of the staple as said ends are moved rearwardly to a positionrwhere they can engage the rear side of thelegs of a staple neXt to be driven preparatory to moving said staple into posisides of the staple nextto be driven.

tion where it can be severed from the strip of staples and subsequently driven. There is also provided a set of spring members constituting holding or checking pawls 15,

the forward ends of which engage the rear side of the cross-bar of the staple next to be driven so as to prevent any rearward movement of the strip of staples asthe ends of 4the feeding pawls are being moved rearwardly, preparatory to engaging the rear '.Ihe holding or checking pawls 15 permit a.for ward movement of the strip of staplesa's the latter is being fed -forward by theJ feeding pawls 13. The set of checking pawls 15 has the material in this member which provides K' these feeding pawls ismade with sullicient spring to permit this movement to take place. The feeding pawls are operated by the upward and downward movement off the plunger 7 through the medium'of a lever i 16 which iS-pivotally mounted onthe frame at 17. Therear end of `this lever 16 engages a rearward extension 18 that is on the feeding pawls and the forward end of the lever is engaged by the portion 19 of the plunger striking the lever as the plunger vmoves downwardly and by'fthe -.portion 20 of the plunger striking the lever as the plunger movesl upwardly.I If it is desired to drive a` staple as heretofore done the attachment 'designated by A is swung out of place, to

wit, to-the position shown in Figs. 4 and 10, in which case .the plunger copei'ates with an anvil of the well-known type. This anvil is designated as 21 and it will be observed that the depressions or clenching grooves 22 and 23 therein` areso shaped and positioned relatively to the legs of the staple being driven as to 'defiect the free ends of the legs toward each other, to wit, under the cross-,bar of the staple, thus causing the staple to be bent `and permanently secured in place, as shown in Fig. 4. When it is `desired to drive the vst'aple'so that it can be readily removed, the vattachment A is swung in place, or, in otherrwords is positioned under the plunger so that it will be placed as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9, in which case when a staple is severed and driven both legs of the staple will be deflected toward theA left, thus causing the staple t'o be bent as shown in Fig. 3.

iisl

iso

In the construction Shownin Fig. Ll itwill i .be observedthat vtheouter portion ofthe depressionsorblenching grooves 22 and .23 are arrangedl underv the free ends ofthe staple to be driven and thus deflect the staple" ends inwardly, whereas in the con- `struction' shown in Fig. 3 the outer portion l* of .theidepre'ssion .or-clenching` groove-.24 is v "po sitionedunder the freev end of staple legf25fafnd: the ,inner portion of the companion l depression 'or-clenchi'ng groove 26 is posi- .tionedunder the freefend .of staple leg2fg'v '1. f thus, as'thefstaple -is driven the free ends of thellegs 2,5' 'and' 27 will be forced to the left. v member -215- fvyhich the depressions or clenclling-grooves 24 and. 26just referred to` f vare f located. and -spri11g28 v vhi'ch .is 'pivot-` The attachment 'A comprises the anvil fallyconnected to thebase 1- as by means Aof vIln-.the construction shown,` the 'movable 1 ...exterior'of the-.xed `anvil. 2 1 `and thus the anvil, ofthe attachment is properly 'positionedLbymeans Q f the anvil 21 when the attachment is brought/ into operative` position;- 'lt willv be manifest', however, thatv otherl means '-for.' causing this A attachment to be 'I' rproperlypo'sitio'ned could `be employed', if

a screw. '29 v4`It will vhere be noted that this attachna'ent could beapplied to existingl stapling' machineswhereby the' `existing stapling machines which' are constructed `to drive staples S0, 'that' the.V staples are permanently secured in place can be employed by means vvof said' attachment to drive 'staples in 5 amanner. to permit' f the subsequent removalof the staples, if desired. 1

'anvil .21 is .made hollow'rand v,fit-s luponuthe 'i f desired;

When it -is desire'dto'remove the staple 40.

thumband the-first finger, the 1an/rior shown lin Figb `this can be readily done by holding 'in the left hand the vpapersv se- Cured by tiiejstapiaby placing the nanof the thumb 'in the longitudinallyfexteixdilg groove 12 fgthe staple and by seizingthe righthand Aend ofthe staplefbetwcenf-the which -`Will engage the under side oftheleg '.-moveinentto the right the staple will be v'readilyremved from place'A yaiifd-this will 'i .'berccomplished Without damaging or mutilatingthe papers. Toac'complishmhis, howeveryt wi be necessary .to-bend the papers jatjthe right-hand side ofthe staple down-r wardly to permit the rstfinger to engage theunder side ofthe leg 25 b ut this actionv will not-' injure-the papers.l

shown in detail vone of." these side pieces.

i Furthermore, 'ityvill beobserved thateach i side 'piececomprises therelativ'ely flat verticallyand longitudinally-extending `body 6 5 portionsBO and 31 Whichare connectedat Reference has heretoforebe'en-made to the fact that' the side pieces 3Yare madev of pressedv sheet metal` and 'in' Fig; 6 there is theiriear by meansof a portion'32 that is bent outwardly but which is cut away at 32 to permitthe passage of the'staples in the'strip. Each of these side pieces is bentV ylaterally outwardly at 3 3, thence forwardly M34, thence laterally inwardly at 3 5 so as to;-provide one of the side members of the vertically extending guide`vvay 6 in which the plunger 7 slides. The-s idej-rnembers or "guide-Way portions just described 4serve tor rigidly .connect `the body portions 30 vand 3l *atftheir' front. L Thesides of the guide-way for'the'strip of staples is designated ley-86. The portion which .provides arside of this guide-Way is clearly shown Yin Fig. 6.

In Figs. 3; and, L.tit Willibe observed the cross-bar .of each 1 staple engages the top of the upper sheet offthe several sheets. which' are secured 'together and that the legs, after passingithrough the several sheets of paper, are bent.laterallyjbelowythe under side of the under'v sheet of the papers secured toclenching groove" 24 .is deeper than the` depression vor'f clel aching groove 26. It will also be observedthat each said depression 'or clenching'groo've provides a curvilinear 1 path along which" thev free end of the leg being-bentv travels and thatin'the bending operation each, legis caused to assume a curved form'. As the legs Iarefl-y of yequal length andas the depression or clenching grooves 24 and 26gare of diferentdepths it will be, noted that. .the free ends of one of the legs lWill have."dili'erent positions rela* tiveto the horizonta1 .f eross bar due to the legshaving dilferent'bends or curves. While thel lbent' legs as Va, lwhole may Ibe V referred to in a broad sense` asxbeing parallel with the gether by thefstaple. In both Figs. 2 .and 3 I y .it will be' bservedgthat the depression or vcross bar'of the -`staple',still as will be mani- I a vbar portion 25a, so calledvr since it vis the portion ofthe leg that is nearest to the cross bar,"and which portion 25a extendsv downwardly and to the left to a positionV below the cross` bar,-- the barv portion 25t `merges into the central portion, 25X, l which Amay be described as a curved portion-parallel to the cross bar and this central curved portion 25 t I merges into the end portion 245", whichexv'vtends'to the left andupwardly toward the cross bar. The end portion 25" n1ay". be re- Y iio horizontal cross bar, eX-

ferred to as the free end portion. The end bar. This portion 27'l -mergesinto the curvedcentral portion 27X, which-is in effect parallel to the cross bar but not under the 'cross bar, and this curved centi'al'portion 2.7 merges in to 'the end portion 27b that extends upwardly and 4-to the left-,away

' from the, crossbar.4 The end 27 engages the underside of the lower sheetv of the several sheets `of'paper which are being temporarily secured together.

The parts 25, 25X and 25b of the bentleg 25 form a Ismooth curve leaving a pocket betweenv thefl'ower sheet of paper being'stapled together and the bent" leg, and the sheets of paper are more or less loosely held by this particular leg 25, of which said portions t0- gether constitute an integral whole. v

The parts 272127 X and 27b of the bent leg 27 form a smoothy curve that provides a pocket between the leg 27 and the sheets of als ypaper thus' stapled together.

which engages the underside of the lowerl vvwithout mutilating the papers;

The end 27 sheet ofpaper being thusstapled together is higher or nearer the general level of the underside of the cross bar than isthe end 25 of the leg `25 ofthe staple that is located below or under the cross bar. Due to the particular construction shown and above described'one is enabled to remove the staple In' Fig. s the legs have both been-bent to I the left so as-to permit theready removal of the staple fromthe papers, if desired, whereas in-Fig.I 4 each of the legs has been bent inwardly so as to assume a position underneath the lcross-bar. l The staplewhen driven as shown in Fig. 4 cannot be readily Ior easily removed from the set of papers which it secures, whereas a staple driven in the manner shownin Fig: 3 can be readily removed in the manner heretofore descr1bed .and this can be Idone withoutfurther bending of the legs of the staple and without .mutilating the paper. In both Figs. 3 and 4 that portion of each leg which is below ,the bottom sheet extends inetfeet substantially'v parallel with the cross-bar of its staple.

yFrom what. haspreceded it will bei clearl that .existing machines can be altered by merely changing the anvil so as to procure the'bending of thepstaples in amanner to permit their ready removal after being driven, and: it will be manifest that the vention can hev realized in different ways and in different forms of.machines without de-l. parting from the. spirit and scope thereof.

A machine which is also particularly adapted for use in the-performing of the invention herein described and claimed is the subject of acompanion application bearing Serial No. 210,815,`fi1ed January 8th, 1918, *l

entitled Machine forstapling sheets.

What Iclaim 'and desire-to secure by Letters Patent is 1 sheets of paper or the like and a staple, the

- 1. In combination, a plurality of layers of4 cross bar of vwhich staple engages the upper e surface of the top sheet and the legs of which staple 'extend downwardly through that is substantially parallel with and-located below the crossbar, and a free end portion that extends laterally and'upwardly toward .the cross bar, the construction at the end of the bending operation being such that there is a` space between said free end portion and the papers secured together by the staplewhen the sheets of paper are pressed together, the'. other of said legs being bent so that it has a bar portion which extends downwardly and laterally away Vfrom the cross bar,a` curved central portion that is parallel, to the cross bar, andan end portion that extends laterally and upwardly.

*2. In combination, a-plurality of layers kof sheets of paper or the'like and a staple, the cross bar ofwhieh staple engages the upper surface of the top sheet and the' legs of which stapley extend downwardly through said sheets of paper and thence-laterally, both in the' same direction,.one of said legs being bent so as to have a. lbar portionvthat extends downwardly andlaterally-to a posii tion below the cross bar, a central vportion that is located below and parallel with the cross bar and a-nend portion that extends laterally and upwardly vtow'ardthe cross bar,

the other of said legs being bentsothat'it haS a. bar portion that extends downwardly andlaterally away from the cross bar, a

curved lcentralportion parallel with the.

eration has a orossfbar extending. horizonc tally from right to left, engaging the upper surface of the sheet, and depending legs at each end of the cross bar which legs pass downwardly through said sheets of paper I andeXtend-Slaterally tothe left, .the right legbeing shaped so that it has a 'bar portion that extends ldownwardly and to the-left, a central curved 'portion and an end. portion that extends tothe-left and upwardly, the

left leg being shaped soas to have a v bar portion that extends downwardly'andfto the y left, `a central curved portion and an'end .portion that 'extends to the/left and upt `of paper or the likev by means of a staple upper .surface of the top sheet,` ldepending having a cross barextending horizontally from" the left to the .right and lengaging the legs one at each end of the cross bar, which legs p'ass downwardly through said sheetsof paper and are' bent laterally to the.- left, fone of said bent legshaving a Ybar portion 'eX- tending downwardly and to the left, a curved portion and an end portion extend-v ,"ingfup'wardly and to the left, the. other of saidbent legs havinga. bar portion extending downwardly and to theleft, a `central curved portion and ane'nd portion extend- 'Ihe securing together 'of sheets of pa-l lper by means of a staplethe legs ofwhich are `driven downwardly lso as to .pass

` throughfthe sheets and are thereafter bent in such a manner that they extend laterally in the same direction', one of said legs be.n

ingbent so as to have a barportion that extends downwardly 'and' laterally, a Acentral curved portion that .is directly -below and substantially parallel. with the cross.

" the same' direction, one laterally .and outbar of the staple and an end portionthat isdirectly belowthecross bar and that eX- tends laterally and upwardlytoward theV eross bar, the other of said legs being bent so as to have a bar portion that extends laterally and downwardly,`a central curved `portion and an yend vportion that extends laterally.v and upwardly, the staple being shapedat the end-of the bending operation so that between the end portion of the leg which 'is directly below the cross bar and the lower of lthe sheets vof paper' secured i together by the staples a space is left Iwhen the sheets of-:paper are pressed together.

6. In the securing together? of several sheets of' paper or the like the method which comprises driving a-staple downwardly and simultaneously bending the ends of the legs laterally in the same direction so that whenV driven the legs are in effect; substantially parallel with the cross -bar of the staple, each of: said legs being bent so. as to have a bar portion that extends downwardly and laterally, a central curved portion that is parallel with the cross bar and an end portion that extends laterally and upwardly,

the end of the leg whichextends under the vcrossbar being lower than the -end of the horizontally from the right tothe left and i engaging the uppersurface of the 'top sheet, I

fwhichstaple also has depending legsat the ends of the cross bar,which legs pass downwardly'through said sheets of paper and are bent laterally tothe left but in arnanner sheetsof paper between the vcrossbar and lthe bent'endsof the legs wherebythe staple can-'be readily removed from the temporary securing position vwithout sheets of paper. .8. vInv -combination,'s`heets-of paper and a mutilating the staple temporarily securing: the sheets to gether, which staple has a crOssbar extend- 4inghorizontally fromrightto left and enf gaging the upper-surface of the. top sheet,

and dependingllegs at the end of *the cross bar, whichv legs pass downwardly through v said sheets offpape'r andarebent vlaterally -ing upwardly and to the left, the free end of the 'leftleg being higher than is the treel end of the right leg.

te the left butin a manner. toleave a' vertif to leave ai vertical play'v or looseness of the between the cross har. and the'bent ends ofi the legs whereby the staple. can be readily removed from vtemporary. securing position without mutilating thesheets of paper.

9. In combination," sheets of paper and a i removable staplel that secures said sheets 1 together, said -staple hav-ing a cross bar eX- tending horizontally and engaging the up-' per surface of thet'opsheet and depending legs that; pass downwardly through.- said sheets and both'. ofy which legs are bent "in wardlyl and the otherlaterally and inwardly to a position below the cross'bar and in such', a mannerthat there'is lefta pocket between 1 it and the lower face of the-lowersheet so' i Vthat'the `staple can be. readily .removed from vits.securingposition.

10. The securing 'together of sheets of .paper lby the method. which comprises -sup- A orv clenching` t'o `first pierce the sheets and thereafter eny gagethe portions defining said depressions or clenching grooves which portions are. ar-

ranged withrespect to said legs so as to deflect the legs laterally vand inthe same clij i rection and so that one of the legsis bent outwardly and the lother `is bent inwardly belowthe cross' bar, the deeper clenching groove being the one into which the last mentioned vleg enters. E

- `11. The securing` together of'sheets of paper by means of a stable"havingilegs of equal length by the'method'which oinprises supporting the sheets'of paper'and forcing the lower free ends of the legs downwardly v through the sheets against an anvil having depressions or clenchmg grooves of unequal depths and which elenchlng grooved Y portions are arranged so that the deeper depression or olenching groove causes one of the 'legs to be defieeted laterally and in-l 10 wardly 'under the cross bar and so that the shallow depression or clenching groove causes the-other leg to be deflected laterally and outwardly, the downwardpressure being continued until the legs are thus bent.

12. The securing together of several sheets "of paper orA the like. by means of -a staple havingl a cross barzextending horizontally from left to right andenga'ging .the

upper surface of the top sheetand having 2C depending Alegs one at each end ofthe cross bar, which legs pass downwardly through' said sheets of paper and are bent. laterally to the left., one of said bent legs having a bar portion extending downwardly and to shaped so as to leave a pocket between it and the lower sheet andso that when said sheets of paper are pressed Atogether the free 'end offsaid right leg does not `engage the lower sheet.

This specification sig-ned 4and witnessed "this 23d day of OctobenlA'. D. 1916.

EDWIN T.GREENF1 ELD. I'

I Signed in the presence'o'f- EDWIN A. PACKARD, Gr.MoGrRAN1\I. 

